Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates light shade, but best bloom is in full sun. Prefers organically rich, moist, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils. Needs good air circulation. Good tolerance for urban conditions. Prompt removal of faded flower panicles before seed set will increase the bloom in the following year. Prune as needed immediately after flowering.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Syringa meyeri, commonly called Meyer lilac or Korean lilac, was found growing in a garden near Beijing, China by Frank Meyer in 1909. It is not known to exist in the wild. It is a compact, rounded, slow-growing, deciduous shrub that matures to 5-8' tall and spreads to 10' wide. Pale lilac to violet-purple flowers bloom in small, dense terminal clusters (panicles to 3-4" long) in late April to early May (St. Louis area). Flowers are fragrant. Small, broad-elliptic to obovate leaves (to 2" long) are dark green. No fall color.

Genus name comes from the Greek word syrinx meaning tube or pipe in reference to the pith-filled but easily-hollowed stems of some genus plants.

Specific epithet honors Frank Meyer who collected this plant in China in 1909.

‘Palibin’ is a compact, low-spreading cultivar which typically grows 4-5’ tall with a spread of 5-7’. Pale pink, sweetly-fragrant single flowers arranged in dense, terminal clusters (panicles to 4” long) cover this shrub with a profuse bloom. This shrub is sometime grafted to a 4’ standard and sold as a small tree with a dense, rounded crown. Tree form typically matures to 8’ tall.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Meyer lilac is extremely resistant to powdery mildew. Flower buds are susceptible to frost injury in early spring.

Garden Uses

Effective as a specimen or massed. Shrub borders, foundations. Good screen or informal hedge for property lines. Meyer lilac is generally more attractive than many other species of lilacs due to its structure, floriferous bloom and mildew-resistant foliage.